Not Really a Fan of Our Fans

I don’t know if I’ve emphasized it enough, but our new house probably hasn’t been cleaned in 20 years. Not even kidding. It is seriously an asthmatic’s worst nightmare. We checked the air filter before sanding the floors and it literally had an inch thick of dust on it that peeled off like dryer lint. Barf. That being said, the ceiling fans were just a nightmare. Not only were they severely outdated, but they were caked in layers of dust. They were missing bulbs, the blades were drooping, and not one single fan matched the other. Clearly they had to go. Here are some before snaps I took during our final walkthrough.

We wanted to replace them with something clean and simple and a little more contemporary. I had found these babies, and for $89 + free shipping I made them mine.

Derek had conned our friend Chris into helping him install all three fans, while I continued to stain the floors. They simple followed the wiring diagram that was included with the fans, and it was pretty straight forward.

The electricians that updated all of our electrical (as part of our negotiations), sort of botched the ceiling when removing/replacing the other fans so we plan to patch all of that when we paint our ceilings.

I just love how a five-blade fan looks over four. And not having a droopy light kit. Aren't they just so much fresher?

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I love instant transformations like this. Swapping out ceiling fans is such a simple way to update your home without spending a whole lot of money. But mostly, I’m just glad that I didn’t have to clean the old ones. So sick.

How to Refinish Your Floors the Hard Way | Part II

Well. After burning the midnight oil for a week straight, the floors were finally done. And we were T-I-R-E-D. But honestly, they were totally worth all of the sweat, back aching, hunching over, being covered in dust from head to toe, 40 rounds of vacuuming, and wearing crazy respirators which got a lot of stares from our new neighbors. Seriously. They look SO much better.

Last week, I shared with you guys our sanding process (and mistakes), but now for the fun part. The stain!

We knew we wanted to go dark, but not too dark that you wouldn’t be able to see the grain of the wood. I didn’t want them to look painted, you know? We originally wanted to use a water-based stain, but unfortunately they didn’t have enough quarts in the color we wanted so we had to opt for Plan B: oil-based stain. So we picked up 1 quart per 275sf, and two gallons of oil-based polyurethane.

Before applying the stain, I went through each room thoroughly vacuuming the floors (and walls!!) and dusting every surface with a microfiber cloth (several times). We didn’t want a single spec of dust to mix in with the stain. I even wore towels over my shoes so that I didn’t track anything onto the floors.

Classy.

We were a little nervous about applying the stain, and how long to let it sit, so we tested it out in a closet first. We took turns brushing it on with a 3″ brush in small 3ft sections. We made sure that the entire area was thoroughly covered with stain, then let it sit for 1 minute.

We told you it was dark.

Just kidding. After the 1 minute mark was up we took a t-shirt (from a huge bulk bag we picked up.. and definitely went through the entire pack of 100 cut up shirts) and wiped it up with the direction of the grain, revealing this loveliness.

It was a little lighter that we had hoped so on the second run we let it sit for 2 minutes.

Perfection.

We continued this method following each patch of fresh stain along the grain of the wood, that way we could blend it better, and as it dried the new row would start along the planks of wood creating nice straight rows that blended seamlessly. It took forever.

You can see how we worked our way back toward the exit of the room. No one stains baby in the corner.

As you can see it’s a little rough looking without having the polyurethane, very rustic. The wood had some previous damage that we just couldn’t sand out, like that dark spot on the right side of the guest room (below). There were also several boards that just appeared darker, which was completely out of our control.

But we really like how it sort of just adds to the charm and character of an older home.

Once all of the stain was laid down, and we let it cure for 24 hours, I went back through and thoroughly cleaned each room using my same method (and my same cool towel shoes).

And no, that isn’t stain on the walls, we had pulled up the quarter-round trim before sanding, and it peeled the paint up on the baseboards. But we aren’t really worried about it since we definitely plan to paint all of the trim with a fresh coat of white ASAP.

After cleaning, it was time for the part that we dreaded the most. The polyurethane. This part just made me so nervous because once it’s down, there is no turning back. We decided to choose a satin finish so that it wasn’t too glossy and wet looking (like a basketball court). The satin has a nice subtle sort of waxy sheen that really warms up the room.

We poured the poly into a watering can, and used a lambskin applicator working it in row by row the full length of each room. We used a pretty OCD method for each row: zigzag to the right, zigzag to the left, squeegee at a 45 degree angle to the right, then squeegee to the left, then squeegee back and forth along the grain of the wood to finish before moving onto the next row. This really helped to work the poly into the floor nice and even and thin. You don’t want it too thick because it will never dry, or dry inconsistently creating bumps and bubbles. The beauty of this poly is that it self levels as it dries, creating a nice even coat (like nail polish or oil-based paint).

Above you can see the difference between the side with poly and the side with just stain.

Obviously the poly is still wet in the above photos, it won't be that shiny once it dries. Once we finished one room (making sure to have a safe exit) we moved to the next, repeating the same method for each room.

We let the first coat cure for 8 hours before applying the second (using the same exact method).

Above you can see the nice satin finish (on the right) once the poly has cured vs. the freshly applied second coat of poly (on the left). See how much softer it is? So smooth!

We let the second coat dry for 6 hours and then applied the third and final coat to each room.

I realized that there are a lot of photos of Derek doing the dirty work, but I promise I did just as much poly-ing. So. Let that be on the record.

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Although this was probably (by far) the hardest project I’ve ever taken on, there is no feeling like having that sense of accomplishment after taking on a new adventure neither of us had any experience in, and finishing it through together. Even though we did stay up until 3am more than once during the work week, and spent two entire weekends breaking our backs. It was very much worth it in the end. This place quickly started to feel like our home.

How to Refinish Your Floors the Hard Way | Part I

The first project that we tackled once we closed on our house, was to refinish our 80 year old floors. We had a week of overlap before our lease ran out at our apartment, and we figured that it was now or never. For anyone that has refinished their floors while living in your home (furniture and all) I commend you. We just knew that was not an option. Once we got the keys to in our grubby little hands, we immediately went to town hand sanding all of the borders of each room. But don’t worry. We took all the proper safety precautions.

Or maybe we were just cooking the blue.

Every night after work until the wee hours of the morning, we went around every single room using a palm sander with 60 grit sandpaper. Which took forever. I mean literally four days of just sanding the borders.

Luckily we hand a handful of friends helping us with all of the detail work. Shout out Max, Chris, and Carrie! Without you guys, this would have seriously taken twice as long.

Sand. Vacuum. Repeat. And Repeat.

We started in the living/dining room since it is by far the largest room and we wanted to get it out of the way. Once a majority of the border sanding was done we headed to Home Depot to rent a random-orbit floor sander/buffer. We went this route over using a drum sander due to the fact that our floors were installed in 1930, and we had no idea how many times they had been sanded over the past 80 years. If we used too aggressive of a machine to start, we could have literally sanded right through our floors. It’s a thing.

So we decided to approach ours in stages. We started it out using 20 grit paper and it started making great progress right away! 

This was after one full pass.

We were starting to rough things up and get to bare wood. Or so we thought. Pass 2-8 pretty much looked like this.

Passes 9-18 were starting to get a little better, but we still weren’t down to bare wood all the way. And there was still a LOT of polyurethane showing, which the stain wouldn’t stick to so we kept going. Apparently the previous refinishers really liked to glop on that poly. It was a mess.

If you’ve ever used a floor sander before, you know how easily they can get away from you. So you really have to hold them steady. My arms were SORE. Forget Bikram. I’ll just sand floors all day. Wait.

After pass 35 (you think I’m kidding), I thought we were pretty much there. I was starting to say silly things like “you know.. this is probably good enough. Right?” I figured, maybe the original floors just have a natural cherry hue?

Derek was not convinced. He was determined to get all the way down to the original wood 100%. So we decided to take our safety-first-easy-does-it sander back and swap it out for this beast.

We chose an American Sanders Belt Sander. This baby showed results. Fast. We started it out on 36 grit paper and man. It was like night and day.

Okay okay. I get how bare it needed to be now.

We did one pass with the 36 grit, two passes with 80, and one pass 120 for each room. And we were done.

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We went back through with the palm sanders to touch up the borders where the floor sander couldn’t reach and had left a ring. The floors were also a little uneven in texture, so there were still a few patches of polyurethane to sand off here and there.

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Derek felt really bad that we didn’t use the more powerful sander to begin with. But since this was our first time, and we didn’t know the strength of the floor, we had a bit of a learning curve. An expensive learning curve. But hey. Now we’ve saved you the trouble ;)

This Old House

Obviously we need to start somewhere. So why not introduce you (re-introduce most of you) to our 1930 bungalow?

In January of 2014 we officially became homeowners for the first time. Considering we are both designers full of opinions, finding the perfect place to call home was a bit of a challenge. After 3 months and over 120 house tours (no joke), we finally found a sweet little 1930 Craftsman Bungalow. We wanted an older house with some character that needed a little bit of love. There were countless homes that were either too finished, or not finished enough that we had to pass up because they just didn't fit the bill. Oh you have a house with brand new granite countertops? Pass. Oh half of the walls are down to their studs, and you are still wanting an arm and a leg? Nope. That kind of thing.

We had some difficulties closing on our little Bungie, to say the least. 3 months of difficulties to be exact. The seller lived in Austin and she had been using it as a rental for the past few decades, so clearly there were some items that didn't pass inspection and needed to be negotiated. We had it re-leveled, updated electrical (it had knob and tube people), and reinforced the chimney that was very much leaning toward our neighbors' house. Mix in the holidays, add some inclement weather, and that about sums it up. This wasn't an ideal (or typical) experience when buying a home, but it was a learning experience to say the least. 

All of these photos were taken during our final walkthrough so we like to refer to them as the official "befores". 

Now I think there needs to be a bit of a disclaimer. This house has never been updated (or cleaned for that matter?). So try to look at these photos with fresh paint, modern fixtures, and a whole lot of elbow grease (maybe a power washer?). We are SO excited to share with you guys the minor improvements we've already made that have made a world of difference. Sometimes I forget just how bad it was when we bought it.

Welcome to our home :)

Our first official homeowner photo once we had the keys in our hands.

I mean, the day after we put an offer on this baby, Derek had already sketched up his ideas for the exterior. See what I mean? SO much potential.

This photo is a little misleading because our realtor is holding the screen door open, so really the door is on the side of the porch, not the front.

Picture dark charcoal siding with white window frames, white wood railing, and a fun colored door. Maybe (probably) yellow? 

Oh. And some serious landscaping.

The gutters need a serious overhaul, and we’re still trying to figure out what to do with the driveway. Pavers? Crushed granite? So many options.

There is a detached garage at the end of the driveway behind the house, which we plan to use as a work shop (rather than car storage). I would show you the inside, but it currently looks like a meth lab.

Back to the front! I mean why would you hide this adorable door with a ruddy old screen?

It’s hard to tell from this photo, but the door actually needs to be rehung. It is barely latching onto the frame, which isn’t safe. The threshold needs some work too (which you can see). See all the dirt on the siding? I mean it’s actually a lovely mint green beneath all of that grime. This poor house has been so neglected.

And yes, that is carpet on the front porch. Just why.

When you walk in, you are immediately in the living room/dining room. It’s a very narrow and long room, which will make arranging furniture a little awkward. We’re planning to make the side with the fireplace our dining room, and the other half the living room.

We eventually plan to frame out the fireplace in wood and replace the hearth to give it a little more oomph, and feel a little more Craftsman and less Fiesta-esque.

This is the only room with popcorn ceilings, so random. Overall the floors are in pretty good condition, they are just absolutely filthy. And we weren't really fond of the orange-y stain.

Through this room is the kitchen. Which was the biggest seller for us. We both agreed that having a large kitchen (after being super cramped at our last two apartments) was at the top of our list. And this baby is not only large, but also FULL of storage. It has clearly never been updated, and I’m so excited to get my hands on it.

I think an island is a must.

That doorway to the right connects to the master bedroom for some odd reason. We plan to eventually close it in.

hrough the kitchen is the utility room, which also leads to the backyard. It has some very questionable carpet. 

Let us take a closer look. Woof.

To the left are two pantries. Um amazing. I went from zero pantries to one, to two!

On the opposite side are the washer and dryer connections. We plan to configure this area a bit to add better storage. I mean. What is that.

Here is the back door, which is also original to the house. That tapestry hanging over the window has a needlepoint cat on the other side. Don’t worry, it came with the house. Meow.

To the left of the utility room is what we currently use as the office.

What’s that accordion you see? Oh don’t worry. It’s a door. And it’s not the only one.

It’s the smallest bedroom, and has three closets! We think that it was a weird addition at some point.

We plan to remove the sliders on this closet and install some built-in shelving down the road. That door to the right leads to the middle bedroom (also known as the master).

I told you that there was another accordion door. This one is shiny plastic. Because it's fancy.

The master also has two closets which is SO nice. His and hers. Oh and lots of windows!

When we close in the door to the kitchen (midnight snack anyone?) we plan to extend my closet because let’s be honest. That sucker is way too small. 

Through the accordion door is the hallway. Straight across is the front bedroom which we use as the guest room/pillow hoarding room.

Oh you wanted a better look at the accordion door? Here it is.

Who doesn't want a giant breaker box in their already tiny hallway? Oh but it's framed out because obviously we want it to feel dressy.

In the middle of the hallway (right across from the living room) is the bathroom.

I think those floors deserve a second glance.

Be. Still. My. Heart.

I literally squealed when I walked into the bathroom for the first time. Derek can vouch. Because he followed it up with a “relax. look at all of the problems” ha. I mean clearly it’s filthy. But hexagon tile? I can’t.

Oh hey neighbors! Wanna watch me brush my teeth? We plan to frost that window immediately. And that wall hung sink with two different faucets? What is happening.

I am so thankful that the tile in the shower is neutral. You have no idea how many hundreds of bathrooms we toured while house hunting that were purple, green, pink, orange, or blue tile. From floor to ceiling. One even had green shag carpet. ON THE WALLS. I can’t even make this stuff up. We will eventually replace it when we renovate the bathroom, but I can definitely handle it for a while.

There is even a cupboard above the tub, which we will probably eventually take out to make the shower/tub area feel larger. Plus, what could we store in there that wouldn't eventually be covered in steamy mold?

To the left of the sink is a small vanity with a hamper below. And plenty of cabinets on every wall. It’s kind of overkill.

The last bedroom to the right of the bathroom is the guest room. It’s actually the largest room, but only has one closet so we decided that it would be better suited for guests. And also. 80% of the closet houses a  giant duct to our HVAC system. Lovely. But did you see the hexagon tile in the bathroom? Let's just remember that.

The hallway connects back to the living / dining room, so now you can see what the other side looks like back toward the front door.

You know its bad when even your ceiling fan is mopey. Let’s head to the backyard shall we? We plan to put up a privacy fence (and planting grass seeds) immediately. Our neighbors have a lot of stuff we rather not look at.

It's a pretty teeny yard. But it's big enough for Geoffrey and an intimate dinner party, and that's really all we need.

So there you have it. Are you excited or scared for us? We've tackled a few projects in the short 18 months we've been living here. And we've definitely had our fair share of "old house problems" so we can't wait to get you guys up to speed on our progress! 

We plan to re-share some of the project we shared on the old blog, just so that we have all of this home's progress in one place so bare with us if it feels a little deja vu to you.